[DL] Re: Session Recap

["Ronnie Gustaveson" <gus_bus@hotmail.com>]

I know how touchy some o' you all about "off-subject" chats, so I'll keep it 
brief.

>>OK, so I've read your man's session recap, and here's what I can >>carry 
>>away form it on short reflection:
>>
>>1. I don't think 'gook' was part of the American parlance before 
>> >>Vietnam, though I could be mistaken.  Minor nit-picking, of >>course, 
>>but then you asked for feedback.
>>

>Actually, I'm pretty sure it dates from the Korean Conflict thanks to >a 
>linquistic misunderstanding. The Korean name for America is roughly 
> >pronounced "me-guk" or >"me-gook."
>
>You can imagine what those Iowa farm boys thought getting off the >plane to 
>Koreans greeting them with their name for America.
>
>(This bit of trivia brought to you courtesy of United States tax >dollars 
>at work. It's also one of the very few things I remember >from a year of 
>intensive Korean language training.) :-)
>
>John

-I think your on the right track John,
Goin' on my fourth year in Korea now, and I've picked up a few things during 
my stay, (like the Language.)  'Mi' is Korean for "Beautiful" and 'Gook' 
means "Nation."  The word for 'American,' is 'Mi-Gook Sa-Ram' which 
literially translates as "People of the Beautiful Nation."  Sounds poetic 
don't it. ;)


>>     According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, the term "gook" >>first 
>>appeared aound 1930-35.  I suppose that makes sense, seeing as >>how World 
>>War II wasn't too far over the horizon at that point.
>>

>Hmm--it would appear then, that my teachers' explanation may not have >been 
>completely accurate.
>
>However, it does make a good story. ;-)
>
>John

-I don't know about that, although it's sure possible.  Alot of America 
soldiers served in China during WWII, and I'm sure it's likely that at least 
one of the 51 Chinese dialects has a word very similar to "Mi-Gook" for 
"American."  Though I admit I just don't know. Chinese is REALLY hard, and 
I'm not that good at languages.

Alright reeling this runaway back to a Deadlands theme.  No, the word "Gook" 
does not belong in the Weird West.  In fact it post-dates it by at least 40 
years.  But guess what?  When you're the Marshal, you say whatever you want.

"I don't make the rules, I just break em'"

-Gus

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at 
http://profiles.msn.com.